This week in open source we looked at new features in Firefox 3.1, gave you a …

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We brought you lots of coverage this week from the Southern California Linux Expo. We took a look at some of the impressive features in Firefox 3.1, examined how patents and cloud computing impact software freedom, and gave you a detailed overview of the Android mobile platform.

UK government eyes open source for flexibility, cost savings: The UK is seeking to boost adoption of open source software in government IT in order to save costs. The new procurement policies laid out in a government plan give preference to open source software in some cases and broadly mandates the use of open standards.

SFLC tech director wants to liberate the cloud: During a presentation at the Southern California Linux Expo, Software Freedom Law Center technical director Bradley Kuhn explained how the free software community can overcome the challenges posed by cloud computing.

Microsoft suit over FAT patents could open OSS Pandora's Box: Microsoft has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against TomTom alleging that the device maker's products, including some that are Linux-based, infringe on patents related to Microsoft's FAT32 filesystem. This marks the first time that Microsoft has enforced its FAT patents against the Linux platform, a move that some free software advocates have long feared could be disastrous.

Red Hat VP explains software patent threat at Linux Expo: Red Hat VP Rob Tiller discussed the need for patent reform during a presentation at the Southern California Linux Expo. He spoke about the detrimental impact that patents are having on the technology industry and explained how the recent Bislki decision could impact the future of software patents.

Desktops on cell phones: X11 comes to Android: In one of those odd expressions of synchronicity that life throws out every now and then, both the Android G1 and the iPhone debuted desktop-style windowing solutions today. That's not to say these efforts were similar in nature or overall utility.

Nokia ends official support for Qt Java port: Nokia has announced that it will be phasing out support for Jambi, the Java port of Qt, after the release of version 4.5. Ongoing Jambi development will be turned over to the community.